Ference Travel Blog (Ciao Bella!)

Cinque Terre - Monterosso

2011-07-21T01:00:00.001-07:00

Everyone says this is the place to visit in Italy and it is. I wish we would have stayed longer. The sea is so perfectly blue and the views from the hikes between villages are amazing. We stayed at the Hotel Margherita. Very modern. Short walk to the beach and train station.

Rented umbrellas and sun beds and relaxed all day long.

Stopped in the village next to Monterosso called Vernazza for gelato.

Ate delicious sea bass and pesto at Ely's.

Ference's in Firenze

2011-07-13T12:33:00.001-07:00

I was most excited for this stop on our trip, because last time we came, we only had 3 days. We have 5 days on this round and do not need to stand in line for the Duomo or Uffuzi Gallery.

I love this Popsicle shop called the Stick House. Everyday stop included Limone, noccioli (hazelnut), fragile (strawberry) and chocolate. Also, amazing gelato near Piazza Pitti.

Took a train to Pisa. Had fun with trying to hold it up.

Ate at Ristorante Paoli. Splurged on a huge meal of zucchini salad, duck breast carpaccio, grilled fish, salted cod, pasta, limo cello, prosecco, chianti.

Love the markets. Nobody is aggressive in trying to sell you anything.

I love Florence!

Venice is so very!

2011-07-10T13:32:00.001-07:00

I actually got teary eyed when we arrived in Venice. Bonnie says it's because I'm a Cancer and we love the water. I believe her. Besides becoming a gelato snob (only buy from places with metal lids over their gelato) I've become souvenir snob. Love these masks.

The food has been delicious. Grilled sea bass, salmon with peppercorns, fillet steak. Yum.

Last day in Rome - Parasol Fiasco

2011-07-06T15:36:00.001-07:00

Last day in Rome. Wanted to shop, eat and relax. The girls were dying to buy a parasol all week, so when we got to the Spanish Steps we were in luck. There were several men selling them They couldn't decide on a colour. Meanwhile, I'm holding a green one (haven't paid) when the street vendor flees and a cop walks up to me and tells me it's illegal for them to sell them. Agh! It was utter chaos. What do I do with the green parasol? I totally thought the street vendor was going to come after me to pay for it, so we hid in a camper store. Expensive hide-out, because Chris bought another pair of shoes. (Yesterday,we hit the Gente' outlet and found him red Prada runners. What has become of Chris?

Walked in +37 heat back to our hotel and did laundry. (after we got locked out of our room)

Then we ate at Cotto. Chris had a filet. I had lamb chops. The kids shared risotto. Arrivederci Roma!

Mouth of Truth

2011-07-04T13:53:00.001-07:00

Walked forever to find this only to realize we passed it last night when we were lost. Both Mia and Ava saw it and we didn't hear them say it. Ava was sure someone was going to bite her finger off in there.

I feel so Spartacus

2011-07-04T13:49:00.001-07:00

It really is amazing when you turn the corner and see the Colosseum for the first time. Trying to explain Gladiators to the kids was funny. Chris would have never wanted to take these cheesy pics, but Mia and Ava were so excited to stand with these guys.

Inside the Pantheon

2011-07-03T09:56:00.001-07:00

Love the natural light in the Pantheon. We want to come back here when it rains.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Rome Day 2

2011-07-03T06:07:00.000-07:00

After an hour delay on the plane in Toronto, we made it to Rome on my 40th birthday. Happy Birthday to me!
Joel and Vi met us at our hotel. So nice. Took cab to a great restaurant where we drank prose co and ate starters or cheese, tomatoes and salami. Delicious apple balsamic. Had to buy some to bring home. Walked through Piazza Navona. Love all the street

Happy Canada Day! (Off to Italy)

2011-07-01T07:42:00.000-07:00

Day 1 - Travel Day.
Sweet Panda goes where Mia goes. I hope there's a good movie selection on the plane, otherwise, I'll play hours and hours of iPad Jeopardy and Family Feud.

(Just overheard Mia say, "Why aren't we flying Cathay Pacific?" Air Canada will just have to do.)

One More Sleep Until Rome

2011-06-30T15:20:00.000-07:00

Yay! So excited to blog again.
Leaving for Rome, Italy on Canada Day. Managed to pack the four of us into one suitcase (including an extra duffel bag for shopping) I'm the master of packing. The kids spent the day with the grandparents - Treated to a bento box at Michi, Mr. Popper's Penguins (for the 2nd time) and slip and slide, while I did laundry, re-made 3 beds, ironed, vacuumed,re-packed, recycled (and bought new stylish flip-flops), while catching up on everything DTVR'd like MasterChef and a special on Julian Asange.

I definitely do not feel like cooking tonight, mainly because I don't have much food in the house and have washed all our dishes.

I love traveling with the family.
Stay Tuned

The Library

2010-03-14T18:54:00.000-07:00

Our hotel for 3 days. Heaven.
I can't wait to post pictures.

Upgrade to Business Class

2010-03-14T18:51:00.001-07:00

At the Bangkok airport, we were warned to not wear red as there is a big protest today. We realized our tickets were for Business Class which allowed us access to the Bangkok Airlines Blue Ribbon lounge = Free food, drink and internet in lovely surroundings. We had Chang and Singha beer, Prawn Wonton Soup, Chicken Basil pastries, popcorn?, sticky rice, etc. Hello!

We met my brother here. He had just arrived from Comox, BC, so he was tired, but a trooper. The kids love Uncle Ed!

On our 45 minute flight, they served us freshly baked apple scones, dry fruit and oat scones, fresh papaya and pineapple and drinks. Chris and I had a Heineken.

2 nights in Bangkok

2010-03-14T18:43:00.000-07:00

Best food ever. I swore I wouldn't eat off the street, but MAN, how can you not? Barbequed banana on a stick, coconut rice cakes, corn on the cob. Everything is so fresh.
We've tried every type of transportation: Walking, taxi, riverboat taxi, tuk-tuk, and skytrain. There is so much traffic, that skytrain and riverboat are the way to go. Shopping is crazy...everything from cheap street stuff to high end malls. I was in techno-gadget heaven in the Siam Paragon BE store. Cute little iPod speakers, stationary, lego jewellery, stuff you see in Wired magazine, all in front of you. Agh! I wish I could take everything home.
The Grand Palace is the home of lollipop trees. The kids were tired of me taking pictures of every tree I saw. Lots of tourists. Many who wanted pictures of Ava as a souvenir?

My mom and I went for foot massages. Holy! I didn't know you could spend 60 minutes on feet. It was painful, yet wonderful. I didn't know I had that many spots in my foot to massage. How can they only charge $12 for this?..and at a higher end hotel nonetheless. They even spend the last 10 minutes on your back, shoulders, arms and hands.

More later.

Fitting Room Blackout

2010-03-11T20:50:00.000-08:00

It was Women's Day Sale in Ho Chi Minh City. Everything 30% off for women.
I found three cute dresses to try on, headed to the fitting rooms and there was a black-out. Hilarious. It was pitch black. I thought I'd just leave, but NO...they wanted me to stay and buy something, so one girl held her cell phone to light up the dressing room, which meant that she was in there with me. So, I started undressing (Mia horrified that this girl was seeing me change) Next, two more shop girls came in, each with a lit candle, and they both watched me change. I had to SQUEEEEZE into a size 10 (what's up with the sizes here) and they tried to convince me I didn't look like a sausage in it's casing.

Crossing the street

2010-03-09T17:53:00.000-08:00

Yes, this deserves it's own post. So far, nothing has made my heart beat faster than having to cross the street here in Ho Chi Minh City. It's scary because their are 4 million scooters, many buses, cars and cabs. Mia says, 'In Regina, you would never cross the steet in front of a moving bus' Here, you have no choice. We have a family mantra/chant while we cross the street. First, we all hold hands. Then we say in unison 'Don't stop, don't run, just walk' 'Don't stop, don't run, just walk' We always make it safely, and Ava's walk always ends in tears and a comment 'I'm never doing that again'

Yummy Food

2010-03-09T17:48:00.000-08:00

We have eaten at some great restaurants. It is so inexpensive.
Example, our meal at Barbeque Garden last night cost $46 for 5 adults and 2 children. This is what we ordered:
2 Tiger Beer
2 Lipton Lemon Iced Tea
1 Pepsi
2 Tropical Garden smoothies
1 Fresh Pineapple Juice
1 Iced Vietnamese Coffee
1 Iced Mocha Latte
2 Grilled Lamb
2 Coconut Chicken Kabobs
3 Pork Kabobs with Vegetable
3 Grilled Pork ribs with garlic honey
1 Jumbo Shrimp with garlic
1 Fried Spring rolls with crab meat
2 Spicy Beef
RICE
Chocolate Fondue with bananas, watermelon and pineapple.

WHAT! We were stuffed.

Shopping in Ho Chi Minh City

2010-03-09T17:38:00.000-08:00

Hello! I thought Manila was inexpensive. This is unbelievable.
Chris went to the bank to exchange $100US and we got over 2 million Vietnam Dongs.
Dong is such a great word. I can say 'hello' sin chow (sp?) and 'thank you' cam on (sp?) It's getting us by. The shopping highlight is around the Ben Thanh Market. Don't laugh, but I've re-stocked Chris' underwear drawer with new faux 'Louis Vuitton' and 'D&G' boxer briefs. I've stocked up on sunglasses, silk pajamas and boxes of fake eyelashes. We stop for fresh mango smoothies and root beer. The kids can't stand the smell of the food stalls. Neither can I.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam is HOT

2010-03-09T17:34:00.000-08:00

I've never experienced HOT like this before. We landed at 6:30pm at it was +32C. Love that feeling. Stayed at Hotel Magestic, which was built in 1925. Chris says that it's the 'grandest' hotel he's ever stayed at. Truly, high vaulted ceilings, lots of wood, immaculate bathroom, bedding, views of the water, views of rooftop gardens. Sweet. We have an adjoining room to my mom, Tita Jazmine and Margie. Man, we are having fun. The girls were shy around Margie at first, but have completely opened up. Went for a night swim and finally had a good night's sleep :)

Dim Sum for Everyone

2010-03-09T17:28:00.000-08:00

We actually spent less than 24 hours in Hong Kong as a stopover to Vietnam, but trust me we packed a lot in. Met my mom's friend Feloria for Dim Sum at 8:30am. We tried not to eat as we were meeting Kirk and Faye for dim sum at the Eaton Hotel at 11:30. OMG the food is good. We also walked around and found the Hong Kong version of Sephora, called Sasa. Walls of eyelashes, walls of cute tweezers and eyelash curlers..a girlie girl's paradise :) (Then I found out that Faye's real name is Sasa)

My new favourite treat are these mango filled, coconut covered desserts. Not North American Mango, but the yellow, soft, deliciously sweet mango. I had to buy 4x6 packs to take with us.

Side Note

2010-03-09T17:27:00.000-08:00

I haven't had a chance to load any pics from our camera as I didn't bring a laptop and the computer in our hotel doesn't have a slot for my media card.

Kirk and Faye

2010-03-09T17:14:00.000-08:00

Got to visit with Kirk Kenny and Faye. He's been living in Hong Kong for 6 months. We walked to a little night market. There were so many cute dress shops on the way. It was 10pm, but the kids came with us so we hyped them up on pop. Bought cutesy little Hello Kitty cube lights, Super Mario mushrooms and my aunt found a miniature mah jong set for the girls. I love this stuff. It's great having Faye to speak Cantonese and barter for us.

We dropped the girls back at the hotel and took a cab to a night club on the 29th floor of a building that overlooked both Kowloon and Hong Kong. There was some Bollywood type band playing. It was the most crowded, party situation I've ever been in. (I know, I haven't been out in 15 years, so it was a shocker) I don't think there are any fire regulations for how many people they can squeeze into that place. For some reason, I only saw about five Chinese people. Everyone was Indian (except Chris and Kirk)...probably because of the band. FUN!

Some pics of our family in Hong Kong courtesy of Mr. Kirk Kenny

Hong Kong - First Impressions

2010-03-09T17:05:00.000-08:00

Yay! Our baggage arrived. The Hong Kong airport is so clean and white and futuristic. Great shopping, great art. Love. Went to the drugstore and 7-11 just to check out their product. Everything is so cute with Chinese characters on them.

Took a shuttle bus to our Kowloon hotel, CityView. First impressions: Clean city, huge skyscrapers (there was one apartment building that we were told has 200,000 residents. Imagine.) long bridges, bright neon lights, everything is massive, it's a cross between Vancouver and NYC.

I was soooo super tired, but also very pumped up with energy. Couldn't wait to have a quick bath, then get out to the night markets of Hong Kong.

Movie Extravaganza

2010-03-09T16:59:00.000-08:00

I slept for 1/2 hour on a 15 hour flight. I couldn't get comfortable next to Mia and Ava all sprawled out beside me. I was happy to get caught up on a ton of movies I've been meaning to see. Up in the Air (Loved it), BlindSide (Holy, Sandra Bullock deserved to win), An Education (Great young actress), Couples Retreat (hee hee). Also, there's nothing like Cup o Noodles mid-air. The girls did very well on the plane, despite Mia's worries about getting motion sickness. I hope those days are behind us.

Flying Day - Landing in Hong Kong

2010-03-09T16:54:00.000-08:00

Love the Vancouver International airport. They completely decked it out to impress for the Olympics. Quatchi this and Miga that. Chris bought a neck pillow for the 15 hour flight to Hong Kong. Right before we boarded the plane we realized our bags were checked straight through to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (instead of Hong Kong) Uh oh...Cathay Pacific was able to pull them on the plane, retag our suitcases and issue our new luggage tags. Trust me, I was prepared for lost luggage.

The adventure begins

2010-03-05T06:14:00.000-08:00

Just packing the car,took a family photo (note: Panda goes everywhere we go), downing my protein shake and watching Mia and Ava play a last minute game of chinese checkers.
First stop, Vancouver....short wait, customs, board Cathay Pacific for Hong Kong.

What to wear to a Cambodian Wedding?

2010-03-01T19:49:00.000-08:00

I can't wait to experience this wedding. The religious cermony is first. The dress code is no black, no sleevless and nothing too short. That rules out everything in my closet. My capped sleeve, colourful dress is way too short too wear..Stacey and Clinton would shout out 'No mini skirts over age 35' I now realize I only own black dresses and need to expand my horizons. We are going to be sitting on the floor, I'm assuming on mats, blankets or pillows, so the 'too short' rule is a good rule.

Chris gets to wear a barong (Filipino dress shirt) and pants. Easy.

We are bringing two suitcases that are only half full.

4 Sleeps until our Asian Adventure

2010-03-01T18:03:00.000-08:00

I'm getting really excited about this trip. My cousin Joel is getting married to Vi in Siem Reap, Cambodia on March 18th, which instigated our whole family to have another big vacation.

Itinerary Summary
Hong Kong to see Kirk Kenny for one night. (Dim Sum and the night market)
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (Parks, food and cheap shopping)
Bangkok, Thailand (High hopes for the lollipop trees at The Grand Palace)
Koh Samui, Thailand (my hot beach getaway)
Bangkok, Thailand (hanging out)
Siem Reap, Cambodia (Wedding parties and Angkor Wat)

It will go by really fast. I'm trying to pack lightly so I can fill my suitcase with stuff I buy there.

The ME Cancun

2009-01-19T10:30:00.000-08:00

The ME Cancun hotel. I was NOT disappointed. The hotel is beautiful. This was our room!

Ava is an artist

2008-08-22T15:59:00.000-07:00

Calgary with the Krugers

2008-08-22T13:36:00.001-07:00

It was so great to arrive in Calgary and have Carmen pick us up! Her kids are soooo cute. (and mine are really brown)

Au Revoir Paris

2008-08-22T13:31:00.000-07:00

We are going to miss Paris and Rodney & Marjo's beautiful home & garden.

Rain, Rillette and Rainbows

2008-08-22T13:23:00.000-07:00

On our last day in Paris we went back to Le Marais area near St. Paul metro. It started POURING rain. We had nowhere to go. We ran from awning to awning to get moments of relief. Finally, we spotted a place to go and sit down. It was a gay bar that only served drinks and baguettes. It turned out so great. I had panache', Chris had beer, the kids drank coke and ate delicious rillettes (pork spread...doesn't sound do good in English) on crusty baguettes. Ah, the memories.

why do I take these shots?

2008-08-22T13:20:00.000-07:00

The best play structure in Paris

2008-08-22T13:17:00.000-07:00

Jardin du Luxembourg. I think it was about 1.5Euro for the kids to play here. So fun.

The Statue of Liberty in Luxembourg Gardens

2008-08-22T13:00:00.000-07:00

The first model (on a small scale) of the Statue of Liberty was builty in 1870.

Popsicles outside Hotel de Ville

2008-08-22T12:50:00.000-07:00

The cheapest place to get delicious popsicles are in the metro.

Babar

2008-08-06T17:29:00.000-07:00

I'm 99% sure this is the same place we bought Marmar's Babar print in 1993 when Chris and I traveled to Paris.

Gotta love Mist Machines on a hot day

2008-08-06T17:22:00.000-07:00

That man with his shirt off sure loves mist machines too! Remember, this is part of Paris Plage...the Louvre is right behind us.

Paris Plage

2008-08-06T17:14:00.000-07:00

No! There isn't a beach in Paris, but in 2002 they started putting sand on the banks of the Seine for all of August. There are people sun bathing like they're on the Mediterranean.

Making the most of the last 2 days!

2008-08-06T17:10:00.000-07:00

Hanging out on Ile St. Louis

2008-08-06T17:02:00.000-07:00

We took the foot bridge over to Ile St. Louis, recommended by Marjolaine. Rodney said we HAD to try their special Berthillon ice cream (the poire sorbet is to DIE for) This brand is everywhere on the island, but I can't find it anywhere else in Paris. It is delicious. Plus there's amazing little boutique jewellry, gourmet food stores, and restaurants down the main litle strip.

Old School Mickey Mouse

2008-08-06T16:58:00.000-07:00

The kids were each allowed one thing from Disneyland Paris. Mia chose this wonderfully soft Mickey. She says it's 'Panda's' new best friend. She's had Panda since 2002, so that's a pretty special thing.

Waiting for the 'Once Upon a Dream' Parade

2008-08-06T16:48:00.000-07:00

We got there super early so we'd have rock star seats!

Side Note: Ava wore those Minnie Mouse ears out shopping in Paris today. I wish I would've taken a picture. This is exactly the run-down of your outfit. Pretty white dress, Pink High Top runners with Alexandre's grey socks pulled up high, and the Minnie Mouse ears.

My view while riding the TeaCups

2008-08-06T16:46:00.000-07:00

Sheer Bliss!

Disneyland Paris (aka EuroDisney)

2008-08-06T16:32:00.000-07:00

We spent a day at Disneyland Paris yesterday. Let's just say that we booked this excursion for the kids. BUT, when I walked up to the castle, got through the gates, and 'It's a small world' started playing, I started to cry! Then, we saw the castle, and the girls got so excited and asking 'Whose castle is it? Do you think it's Cinderella's? No, it's Sleeping Beauty! Did you know her name isn't really Sleeping Beauty...it's Aurora!' It was wonderful! I loved the square trees. I loved the Merry go Round and the Flying Dumbo ride and the Teacups. (but...I didn't like the line-ups!)

Kissing in the rain

2008-08-04T15:11:00.000-07:00

More Paris Photos from Joel's Flickr set

Chris, Hoegaarden and BBQ

2008-08-04T14:43:00.000-07:00

This is living life.

Heavenly

2008-08-04T14:39:00.000-07:00

Loved loved loved the Tuilleries Gardens. I could've sat there all afternoon people watching, sun bathing and drinking my peach iced tea (the' peche) granita. 7-11 should definitely start making those in slurpee format.

La Maison du Chocolat

2008-08-04T14:36:00.000-07:00

Marjolaine recommended this place on Rue Madeleine. Yum! We had two different kinds of chocolat noir glace and sorbet here.

Eiffel Tower in all its cheesiness (sp?)

2008-08-04T14:25:00.000-07:00

It's really windy at the top!

2008-08-04T14:17:00.000-07:00

We finally made it to the top of the Eiffel Tower. We thought the line would dwindle down at 8pm on a Sunday night...no such luck. It's queue after queue after queue...but Ava was so adamant about making it to the top. She truly loved it. She pointed out every site we'd been too. I admit, that it was really cool, and kind of scary. It was all lit up in cobalt blue, then the lights started flashing, and everyone was cheering, then the rain started, it was all so memorable!

My suitcase is so heavy

2008-08-04T14:12:00.000-07:00

Things I didn't need to pack:
1. Straightening iron (It was the wrong voltage & I already have straight hair)
2. Two pairs of stiletto heels (I can only walk in flip flops)
3. A journal to write in as I have an on-line blog.
4. A hair dryer (every one owns a hair dryer and every hotel is fully equipped)
5. 1/2 of the kids clothes and bathing suits
6. One blue dress and black shirt and dress that I rarely put on.

I love the George Pompidou Centre

2008-08-04T14:06:00.000-07:00

I could spend a lot of time in this museum and their gift shop. Plus, every 1st Sunday of the month is free admission and we were there yesterday!

Les Philosophes

2008-08-04T14:02:00.000-07:00

Best duck ever! We ate at Les Philosophes in the Hotel de Ville area. We had the best food and service you could ever imagine. This is Xavier, who took care of us, especially Mia and Ava. He even left the restaurant to buy un cadeau for them, a little kids french book. How sweet is that!

A lot of walking

2008-08-04T13:58:00.000-07:00

I wanted to take the kids down Champs Elysees to see the Arc de Triomphe. I made the mistake of getting off at Metro stop Champs Elysees - Clemenceau (which is essentially 4 metro stops away from the Arc) Oh man, were the kids tired...and for what? They don't know what the Arc de Triomphe is. We sat and had a Cherry Coke.

Pizza Pino

2008-08-04T13:55:00.000-07:00

I just like that a Filipino took a picture of the Pizza Pino.

Video: Man Foot Massage

2008-08-03T09:37:00.000-07:00

Oh, the things you see in Paris.
Walking through the Trocadero Gardens, admiring the view of the Eiffel Tower and getting the kids excited for ice cream and the merry go round, when I spot these two men, having a leisurely lie down in the park. One guy massaging the either guy's feet. Ah! Paris!

Tour Eiffel

2008-08-03T02:51:00.000-07:00

Getting off the metro at Trocadero instead of Bir-Hakeim was so much better of a view...walking up to the Eiffel Tower. The line to go up was insane so we decided to come back for the last elevator ride at 11:30pm. I timed it just 6 minutes off and we missed...we'll try again later.

Paris Photos

2008-08-01T01:23:00.000-07:00

Scroll down to the beginning of our trip. I added photos from Paris.

Fun with Uncle Joel

2008-08-01T01:09:00.000-07:00

I love Lausanne

2008-07-31T13:19:00.000-07:00

Lausanne is less than 30 minutes away from Geneva by train. It is so quaint. Tons of cute little shops, and expensive shops too. The Ouchy (pronounced Ooshey) area is fun for kids. Again, more fountains to wade in, merry go round, swans, paddle boats, popsicles, ice cream, play structures and gardens with naked lady statues. Stay away from the bathrooms...squat at your own risk.

For a good time, call...

2008-07-31T13:12:00.000-07:00

Love the background graffiti in Lausanne. I wonder if this is Ben Steaven sitting next to the girls?

Getting around Geneva is easy

2008-07-31T13:03:00.000-07:00

Bus, Boat, Walking, Taxi. Everything's on the honour system. We buy bus passes everyday that are good for both bus and boat, but nobody ever checks to see if you actually purchased a ticket.

Resting in the Botanical Garden

2008-07-31T13:00:00.000-07:00

Traveling with Kids

2008-07-31T12:55:00.000-07:00

I really want to write a blog or something devoted to traveling with kids. It's really possible when you can find fun things like the fountains outside of the UN. We carried their bathing suits wherever we went, just in case we found water for them to cool off in.

Private Tour at the UN

2008-07-31T12:17:00.000-07:00

Both Joel and Vi work at the United Nations, so we had a private tour of the grounds. Notice me at the podium! We walked through the beautiful gardens, cool sculptures, saw a gimped peacock and the ran through the flags.

Lunch at the United Nations

2008-07-31T12:15:00.000-07:00

Ference 4 - Florence

2008-07-31T12:13:00.000-07:00

Spicy Penne and Pizza
Lemon Gelato
Merry Go Round in Piazza
Shopping in the open market

Poor Ava

2008-07-31T11:56:00.000-07:00

On the last night in Florence, Ava awoke in the middle of the night with a massive nosebleed, which in turn caused her to fall out of bed, hitting her tooth on the table and biting her lip. There was blood everywhere. For 2 days she said she'd never smile or run again. I'm happy to say, she is back to smiling and running.

Link to more Florence photos

2008-07-31T11:51:00.000-07:00

Joel's Flickr Site

Earning her keep

2008-07-28T11:38:00.000-07:00

Ava will do any job to make a Euro. (Here, seen carrying Vi's big purse)

Lighting a candle

2008-07-28T11:36:00.000-07:00

We thought Lola would like this picture.

Santa Croce in Firenze

2008-07-28T11:33:00.000-07:00

This is where Galileo, Dante and Michaelangelo were buried.

Don't forget to cover your shoulders!

2008-07-28T11:27:00.000-07:00

Or else...you'll have to wear one of these in the church.

Warning: Disturbing picture

2008-07-28T11:15:00.001-07:00

I'm warning you! These boxers are EVERYWHERE in Florence.

Chris at Garga in Florence

2008-07-28T11:13:00.001-07:00

Perhaps it was the white wine talking, but I think Chris looks really cute here.

Interesting

2008-07-28T11:09:00.000-07:00

Vi's real name is Vinuon. Her parents were born in Cambodia. Nuon means banana in Cambodia.
ViBanana. I love that!

Joel & Vi (Vee) = Vinuon

2008-07-28T10:59:00.001-07:00

My cousin, Joel, and his girlfriend, Vi, met us in Florence and we stayed at the same hotel. Let's just say...we had fun! Vi loves champagne and shopping. Hello! I will forgive her for being in her 20's and still being able to wear short dresses, because she laughs at my jokes and really likes Mia and Ava.

Not the real David

2008-07-28T10:55:00.001-07:00

But, it looks pretty good.
So, as not to over-museum the kids we counted 'p*nis*s' in the Uffizi Gallery to make a little game out of it...there are over 40 units,if you don't count the paintings (just the sculptures)

Ah!

2008-07-28T10:54:00.001-07:00

Florence = Firenze ~ Ference

2008-07-28T10:44:00.000-07:00

I love Florence. Wow...it's beautiful! Actually, it's shockingly beautiful. I wasn't expecting it. The Duomo is situated so close to our Hotel Casci (500 year old bulding that used to be a convent) Every 3rd shop is a gelato stop, and every second shop is a shoe store. Food-wise, it was the best pesto I've ever tasted, the best pizza Mia's ever had, and Ava went so hard on the super spicy penne arribiata.

It was no TGV!

2008-07-28T01:55:00.001-07:00

Our train experience from Nice to Milan was a bit chaotic. First of all, we walked to the train station and realized that we left our iPod charging at the hotel. I had the big suitcase and the 2 girls, while Chris had 30 minutes to RUN back to the hotel and make it back in time for our train. He must have sprinted, because he made it back with 7 minutes to spare (and a lot of sweat seeping through his red t-shirt) When the train arrived, the doors to our coach would not open. People were getting very antsy 'is it going to leave without us?' 'what are we going to do' At the last minute, the doors opened and people pushed into our Coach #2. Luckily, we found our seats right away, but about 50 other people didn't. THEY WERE MISSING ONE COACH CAR! Can you imagine? All these people paid for seats in a 1st class, air conditioned train, and their coach wasn't there. As a result, these 20-something cute Spanish girls were fighting with elderly English speaking women. Oh man, it was nuts. Note Mia's distressed facial expression and Chris reaching behind to hold Ava's hand. I was seated across the aisle.

2 hours in Monaco

2008-07-28T01:47:00.001-07:00

We took a crowded train to Monaco (only 20 minutes from Nice) We had to pull the kids away from swimming, so the hot, hot walk up the steep, steep hill to see a casino that they couldn't get into didn't really impress them. The gardens were gorgeous!...and the little duck pond was sweet. I was extremely tempted to pay 180Euro each to see Alicia Keys at the Monte Carlo that night, but Chris helped me see the light. It was good seeing Monaco (and last night, we were watching MTV and saw a 50 Cent video that was filmed in Monaco which gave me a small delight)

Ference 4 - Nice

2008-07-28T01:20:00.001-07:00

Double Decker Merry Go Round
Swimming in the Mediterranean Sea
Rooftop Pool at Hi Hotel
Private Pink Playhouse at the beach

Breakfast at the Hi Hotel

2008-07-28T01:16:00.001-07:00

The best cappucino and espresso, pomegranate yogurt (non of the low-fat stuff), chocolate au pain, kiwi, ham, muesli. Yum.

Mia & Ava: Front page of the Hi Hotel Blog

2008-07-21T13:18:00.000-07:00

I have never been prouder of Mia and Ava`s puzzle-making skills.
http://www.hi-hotel.net/blog/hi/tribute-to-hi/

Nice is Hot (and so is our roof top pool)

2008-07-21T11:01:00.001-07:00

TGV Rocks

2008-07-21T10:52:00.000-07:00

I love the EuroRail. The seats are so comfy and the espresso cups are so cute, as are the bags the croissants come in.

Last day with the Geres'

2008-07-20T14:49:00.001-07:00

We started off the day shopping in the Vincennes Market for cherries, pate pomme de terre, creme fraiche and lots of other goodies. Rodney has a nice straw basket for carrying groceries. We walked over to the Paris Jazz Festival in the park and had a perfect spot surrounded by flowers. The play structure was awesome for the kids. A huge slide, and two faux Eiffel Tower monkey bar sets (one for adults, the other for kids) We leave early for Nice tomorrow morning.

Marzipan Heaven

2008-07-19T14:53:00.000-07:00

The highlight of the kid's day was the Metro, while Chris' was walking through the covered passages near Palais Royale. The highlight of my day was the selection of marzipan little fruits that I could buy. (Also, the gardens and perfectly trimmed trees, oh yeah, and the teeny tiny cups of espresso with sugar cubes individually wrapped in the cutest paper)

Paris

2008-07-19T02:32:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Paris yesterday at 2pm. Rodney picked us up and we drove in his 'midsize' VW Golf. I love that the Golf is considered a mid-sized vehicle here. We walked around their area, Vincennes. A 13th century castle, Chateau de Vincennes is a 1 minute walk from their place. We stopped for freshly baked baguettes and peeked into many shops that I can't wait to get back into. We had huge kebabs and bbq'd courgettes, aubergines and peppers. Yum. I admit, I zonked out early, and Ava woke us all up at 4am. We fell back asleep. Chris and Rodney went for an early morning run, and I slept in until almost 10am :) Off for more exploring!

Day 1 - Leaving Regina

2008-07-17T07:24:00.001-07:00

I woke up so early this morning. Why can't I do that when it's a work-day? I really wanted to bring my new book, Dead Certain, but it has a huge picture of George W on the cover and I didn't want anyone on the plane to see me with a book about him. We have an hour to kill before our plane leaves, so Mia and I are going to play Guitar Hero Co-op. We unlocked Sabotage (Beastie Boys) and Suck my Kiss (RHCP)!!! So fun. Off to Calgary...then 9hours to Paris.

This was Father's Day

2008-07-15T22:48:00.000-07:00

I know this has nothing to do with our trip, but it's a good picture.

That was close, Mookie!

2008-07-15T22:35:00.000-07:00

Mookie makes Canadian Idol worth watching...well, so does Earl and Theo.

Test from my Mobile Device

2008-07-15T07:09:00.000-07:00

Test 1-2-3!
Just making sure i can update from my Blackberry.

I don't know what to expect, but this is what I'm hoping for...

2008-07-14T23:22:00.000-07:00

Riding the Merry go Round with the girls beside the Eiffel Tower.
Eating gelato in Florence.
Swimming in the rooftop pool at the Hi Hotel in Nice.
Drinking wine and eating cheese with Rodney and Marjolaine at their house in Paris.
Seeing the United Nations in Geneva with Joel.
Playing cards on the train.
Taking the Bateau Bus down the Seine River.
Shopping in outside markets.
Going ga-ga over all the landscaping and flowers and shrubs.
Seeing a real Modigliani.
Seeing a replica of the statue of David and watching the girls giggle.
Who knows what else, but I'm so excited!

Hard to Concentrate

2008-07-14T22:17:00.000-07:00

2 more days of work before we leave for Paris. It is so hard to concentrate on anything but the trip. After packing and re-packing 4 times, we've been able to get all our stuff into a suitcase that weighs about 40lbs (that includes 6 pairs of my shoes). Everyone else is limited to 2 pairs. Tonight, I found the best little 'Belkin Rockstar' hub thing that allows 5 sets of ipod headphones to be plugged into the same ipod. Chris has his own nano, but I will be sharing with Mia & Ava. I just spent forever updating iTunes. I bought a great sketchbook/journal without lines. It's actually hard to find journals with no lines in them. I decided on the 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner instead of bringing better haircare. I guess it will be fine. I know I'm all over the map. I just don't want to forget anything, yet I don't want to bring too much. More later...